Crate or box for sheet-metal plates.



E. NORTON. CRATE 0E BOX FOR SHEET METAL PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED OGTEZB, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. NORTON. CRATE 0B. BOX FOR SHEET METAL PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT 28,1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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EDWIN NORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CRATE OB BOX FOR SHEET-METAL PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed October 28, 1907. Serial No. 399,415.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN NoR'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates or Boxes for Sheet-Metal Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a metallic crate, box or receptacle for the packing and shipment of tin-plates.

The manufacturers of tin-plate have heretofore packed this article in wood boxes, which after being used once have been destroyed, because their shape unfits them for any other use, and their frail structure and bulky dimensions forbids their return by the consumer of the tin-plate to the manufacturer.

The crate or box which is the subject of the present invention, is designed expressly for the packing and shipment of tin-plate, is so constructed as to admit, after the box has been emptied, of its parts being nested or packed in compact form, which re duction of bulk lessens the cost of transportation, and renders it economically practicable for the consumer to return to the manufacturer of the tin-plate, the empty boxes which may be used another time.

The accompanying drawing is an illustration of the present invention, but it is to be understood that in some respects it is permissible to modify the construction shown.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the bottom and side and end walls jointed together, and all spread out fiat. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one corner of the same parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the cover. Fig. 4t is a sectional view showing one corner of the cover in perspective. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the complete crate or box, illustrating the position of the tinplates within. Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a number of covers nested together to form a bundle for shipment.

The crate or box part comprises a bottom plate, 1, having four edges each of which, in the present instance, is provided with eyes, 2, which coil or curl and form a tube for the reception of a pin. The side-walls, 3, and end-walls, 4, may be substantially alike, and have along one edge eyes, 5, similar to the eyes on the bottom plate. The eyes on the bottom and on the walls, are separated or spaced apart, in order that said eyes on the one part may take position in the spaces on the other part, as shown, and a wire or pin, 6, see Fig. 2, may be passed through all the said eyes of both parts. Fig. 1 shows the bottom and the side and end Walls of one crate or box all spread in the same plane; in this form said parts of one box are in position to be piled with the same parts of a number of other boxes, say any number suflicient to form a bundle of size convenient to be lifted by the freight handlers.

When the walls have been turned up at an angle with respect to the bottom, the end of a side-wall, 8, and an end-wall, 4, form a suitable corner joint, 7, as will be readily understood. I have provided means to fasten or look the parts of this corner joint so as to hold the parts firmly together. In the present instance the corner fastener or lock consists of one or more eyes, 8, formed or attached to the end of the side-Wall, 8, and also one or more similar eyes, 9, at the end of the end-wall, 4; these eyes are in vertical alinement, see Fig. 2, and a pin, 10, passes vertically through the eyes of both walls, and thus the corner joint is fastened. Other means may be employed to form and to fasten the corner-joint, and the invention, therefore, is not limited to the construction shown.

The walls are each provided at the upper part with an edge-flange, 11, see Fig. 2, which inclines laterally and laps over and rests on the rim-edge of the cover, as shown in Fig. 5. The cover may be a plate of sheet-metal or a rectangular frame as shown in Fig. 8. The cover on its upper surface has a raised crease or bead, 1 1, formed by stamping up the metal, and extends in a straight line parallel with and near each of the four edges; this raised bead is continuous around or at the corners of the cover, and may be mitered at said corners or otherwise made continuous; this head stifiens the cover. The narrow edges of the cover out side of the said raised head are slightly inclined or beveled downward as at, 12, while that part of the cover, 13, that is within the raised bead is flat or horizontal.

In the drawing the bottom and the cover are both shown as having an opening, that is, sheet-metal does not completely extend across either of these parts, but so far as the invention is concerned this is immaterial. Where either the bottom or the cover has an opening, it may be desirable to close said opening by using a sheet of thick packing paper for this purpose. It'is obvious the paper could be clamped between the inward edge, 15, of the bottom and the lowermost sheet of tin-plate, and between the inward flange, 13, of the cover and the topmost sheet of tin-plate.

.A shipping package for tin-plate constructed as shown and described, may be used repeatedly, that is filled at the factory, emptied by the consumer, and refilled at the factory. When the consumer has removed the tin-plates from the box, and has accumulated a sufficient number of empty boxes, he may pack the empties in the form of bundles and return them to the tin-plate factory to be refilled.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. A shipping crate made wholly of sheetmetal and comprising a rectangular bottomplate; walls secured to said bottom-plate by hinge joints and each wall provided at the edge opposite said joints with a laterallyinclined flange, 11; means to fasten or lock the corner-joints of the walls; and a rectangular cover frame having an inward projecting flange, l8, and having downwardbeveled outer edges, 12, with which the said laterally-inclined flanges on the walls engage, as set forth.

2. A shipping crate or box made wholly of sheet-metal and comprising a rectangular bottom-plate; a rectangular cover having on its upper surface a raised bead extending parallel with the four edges of the cover and said bead continuing around or at the corners, and on the outside of said bead having downward beveled rim edges; and side walls jointed to the said bottom plate and each wall having at its top an inwardprojecting flange which laps over and rests on the said downward-beveled rim-edge of the cover'and thereby holds the latter to its position.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM R. ADAMS, ALLEN BROOMHALL. 

